Cairo official hints at jail death's cause

CAIRO, Ill. -- The death of Demetrius Flowers in Cairo police custody was "not a homicide" and it was "not a suicide," city attorney Michael O'Shea told family and friends of the dead man on Saturday.

During statements that delivered a shock to the gathering of about 45 at the Holy City Church of God in Christ, O'Shea hinted that an ongoing Illinois State Police investigation would reveal a cause for the death that has not been considered in public speculation.

And he wouldn't reveal details to back up his statements.

"I am not able to give you definite answers," O'Shea said. "I am not sure you are ready."

Flowers, 38, was found dead in a holding cell at approximately 9 a.m. on Dec. 14. He had been arrested and brought to the city jail about five hours earlier. A preliminary autopsy found that Flowers died of strangulation. He reportedly was found hanging by shoelaces in his cell.

A videotape of Flowers in his holding cell is in the hands of state police investigators, who refuse to release a copy back to the city, Mayor Paul Farris told the gathering.

During the meeting, some details of Flowers' final hours emerged, but most of his stay in the holding cell is clouded by a lack of specifics.

Some of the details revealed raise additional questions. Flowers was booked into his cell without being required to turn over personal property. Later in the morning, Farris said, an officer retrieved Flowers' wallet and other items, placing them in a police locker.

An extra pair of shoes

Melinda Flowers, center, addressed Cairo Mayor Paul Farris about the investigation into her brother Demetrius Flowers' death during a community gathering Saturday at the Holy City Church of God in Christ. Seated next to Flowers were Arby Davis, left, father of Demetrius Flowers, and his stepmother, Cassandra Davis, far left.

How Flowers obtained the shoelaces that killed him is also unclear. A pair of shoes was in the locker when it was searched after the death, but a pair of shoes was also underneath the bunk in the holding cell.

Five days after Flowers' death, three police officers and two dispatchers were suspended without pay. One officer, patrolman Terry Crow, admitted he violated police policies for watching over people in custody, and as a result his suspension was lifted, Farris said.

"He is the only person who admitted shortcomings and the only one who said he failed to do his duty," Farris said. "And he has taken his time off without pay without any grudge."

That revelation provoked an angry outburst from Arby Davis, Flowers' father, who demanded that Crow be placed back on suspension.

But it was the lack of details in O'Shea's statements that began some of the sharpest exchanges of the 90-minute meeting.

As Davis and Melinda Flowers, Flowers' sister, pressed for particulars, O'Shea gave some hints but no direct answers. Flowers was not elevated and did not have the broken neck typical of a hanging victim, O'Shea said.

"We need to move forward," he said. "You will find that Demetrius Flowers did not die at the hands of the Cairo Police Department."

O'Shea refused to answer any questions from a reporter about his statements as he left the church.

State police haven't announced any conclusions in the investigation, and Alexander County Coroner David Barkett hasn't set a date for an inquest. The lack of information has many in Cairo wondering about the delays and worried that a cover-up is underway. During Saturday's meeting, calls for the investigation to be handed over to law enforcement agencies with no ties to the area were seconded with shouts of "not the Klan."

Those comments underscored why family members are suspicious about the events of Flowers's death. Cairo has a long history of polarized race relations, and many black residents view the police as a tool of oppression.

"Police should be ministers of education in the law, not get out of their cars with guns and billy clubs in their hands," said the Rev. Ronnie Marshall, who helped lead the meeting with the Rev. Alex Brooks.

In his opening address, Brooks reminded Farris and O'Shea that they had an obligation to speak openly about what they knew.

"Any time a question can't be answered, there is a problem," Brooks said. "Many of us don't feel he hung himself."

As he was introducing Farris, Marshall told the gathering that they should appreciate the mayor's attendance. "We have to commend him because he is here," Marshall said. "But don't come up and show us how good-looking you are. Bring some answers."

Farris sought to assure them that he, too, is determined to bring the truth to the front. "You are not unreasonable in your request."

State police investigators refused again on Friday to release the videotape of Flowers, Farris said. "I and Mr. O'Shea came here with the intent of turning over a copy of these tapes to you," Farris said.

Addressing Davis, Farris said the frustration is understandable. "I can't even fathom what it would be like 30 days later to have no closure on your son," he said.

As the gathering broke up, Melinda Flowers, said O'Shea's statement was confusing and frustrating. If it was not suicide or a homicide, she said, "what are they hiding in the middle? That is where the key is."

rkeller@semissourian.com

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